Hidden in the Shadows
by Yethri
Summary: Joint Stories Challenge (More info on the Challenge in the first Chapter) The Uchiha Clan is massacred, but that's not the only thing that happens that night. Instead, things are more complex than they have ever been. Rated M just to be sure.


**Hi, this is my attempt at the Joint Story Challenge by Silverwolf1213 on TONFA**

 **A joint story is when the writer comes up with the idea but allows members to submit their own original characters in a review or through contact. Then the author places the OC into the story, writing the fanfic with all of the accumulated OCs.**

 **The author can choose how many characters they want in the story, any specific requirements etc etc.**

 **The challenge, is to write characters that aren't yours, and getting their personalities right.**

 **So, throw your characters my way, and we'll see what I can do with them.**

 **More info on OC guidelines at the end**

 **X—X—X—X—X**

 **Hidden in the Shadows**

 **Chapter 1**

"Hokage-sama!" came the voice of an ANBU-nin as he appeared inside the office of the Sandaime, completely out of breath.

The Sandaime looked up at his nin, a questioning glance aimed towards him.

"The Uchiha Clan."

The ANBU said, trying to catch his breath so that he could complete his sentence.

"The Uchiha Clan has been massacred."

"Alert the ANBU corps, have them search the premises, let's hope whoever committed it, hasn't left yet."

The man nodded and jumped off, the Hokage summoned another ANBU.

"Get to the gates, have them close, no one leaves until I say so."

The female nin had barely managed to jump off, before another ANBU with a rat mask jumped in through the window she had left through.

"Hokage-sama, there has been a fire in the orphanage."

The Hokage's eyes widened, of all the times for this to happen, it had to be tonight, during a massacre.

"Find Inu, have him and his squad deal with his squad."

"Someone get me weasel." He finished, as he himself jumped off towards the Uchiha compound.

Somewhere deep in his heart, he knew that things were only getting started.

X—X—X—X—X

Dawn, broke over the village of Konoha, a dawn that would herald a beginning to a different life for a lot of its population.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, stood upon the balcony of the Hokage office, looking down upon the gathered citizens.

He waited, not because it wasn't time.

He waited, not because they hadn't all gathered.

He waited, because he needed the time, to phrase everything correctly.

"Citizens of Konoha."

"My beloved people."

"There is no simple way, to break this to you. No easy way, to lessen the pain that you will all feel in your hearts."

"Last night, there was an incident in the Uchiha compound, that left Sasuke-kun, the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan."

There was a collective gasp from the gathered people, a buzz lifting as people spoke to each other.

Most people couldn't believe that the Uchiha had been wiped out.

Others couldn't believe that something could have wiped them out.

"Right now, we do not know what was the cause, nor the reason for this tragedy. But we do know that Sasuke-kun is the sole Uchiha we have left on this earth."

"Investigations are underway as to who and why they did it. I need you to place your faith in me, that we will find who did this, and bring them to justice."

"But right now, more than ever, Sasuke-kun needs you."

"He needs your support, and your strength, to get through this major loss in his life."

"He needs you to be the family he has lost."

"He needs you to be the parents, to be the brothers, and the sisters, that he had while his clan was still alive."

"Because we are Konoha! And we! Are family!"

The roar that went up from the crowd told the Hokage what he needed.

The village was united, and if they were united, they were strong.

Strong enough to survive this.

Strong enough, to survive whatever fate threw their way, in the future.

"You didn't tell them about the fire." Came a voice as he entered his office.

"It is a sad day, Jiraiya. A sad day for all of us, and we both know, that if I had told them about the fire, they'd have rejoiced."

"Yeah, because they lost a demon, and we lost a sweet little boy."

"If they had more time together, they'd have realized the same."

"Well, they aren't going to get that time together, are they?"

A knock on the door, saved the Hokage from the direction the conversation had been heading in, the appearance of Nara Shikaku and the clan heads, a welcome respite.

"Report." He said, hoping that for once on this damned day, he'd hear something good.

"A mindwalk of Uchiha Sasuke showed me a specific memory, in which Itachi claims he did it all to test his mettle, and how strong he was."

"While the Uchiha clan is, was, the strongest clan in Konoha, the kills were easy assassinations. None of them considered him a threat until his ANBU katana sliced through them. There were no fights, nothing to tell us that Itachi was tested at all."

"You think there was more to this, Shikaku?"

The strategist nodded.

"I think it was simply too easy. Too easy as kills, and too short a time period for him to have done all of this alone."

"I agree." Piped in Hyuuga Hiashi. "Hitomi-chan says that some bodies were missing their eyes. She assumes they were the ones with their Sharingan activated as they died. Someone took them, and Inoichi's mind walk shows that Itachi had no interest in the eyes."

"He had an accomplice, or multiple accomplices." Noted the Hokage.

"Which brings us to the fire." Piped in Morino Ibiki. "The matron there, claims someone started the fire with a jutsu. Which would explain the trouble Kakashi-san had trying to extinguish."

A fire being fed with chakra, constantly, was somewhat harder to extinguish than a normal fire.

"Casualties?"

"12, including Naruto-kun."

"Bodies?"

There was a shake of the head.

"There is nothing left of the building but ash. Whoever was in there, is ash themselves."

"Can we assume that, they weren't in there?"

There was a slight silence, as everyone in the room thought of the possible implications.

"Yes, there is a chance that they weren't in the orphanage when the fire occurred. You think someone is trying to cover up tracks?"

The Hokage nodded.

"Everything is too convenient. Itachi-kun suddenly massacring his clan. Their eyes getting stolen. A shinobi started fire in an orphanage which houses our jinchuuriki. 12 children, going missing."

"Someone is behind all of this, and we need to find out who, and why."

"Hiashi, I want you to keep the Hyuuga on alert. This entire thing required more than Itachi-kun, help from possibly inside this very village. I want your clan to be my eyes that see everything inside."

"Tsume-chan, I want your clan out there, tracking Itachi, and the children. Co-ordinate with Shikaku to find ways of finding the children's smell. They're young, they couldn't have gotten far so quickly. We still have time."

"Inoichi, go with Ibiki, I want this matron broken for anything she might have seen or heard that could help us in any way. Mindwalk her if you have to."

"Jiraiya, find out anything your informants can give you, these aren't just any children we're missing, one of them is the Yondaime's son! FIND THEM!"

X—X—X—X—X

 **Alright, chapter 1 done.**

 **I know it's kind of short, but since I'm doing this for a challenge, I don't have much to go with to lay out the situation, without giving too much away.**

 **Make me 12 OC's**

 **I guess I don't have that many restrictions, except that they can't be from one of the major Konoha clans. All of them, however, have to be Konoha.**

 **I will also not accept badly thought out bloodlines, but I would greatly appreciate it, if you diversified the elemental affinities, and fighting styles they have.**

 **Remember to give me some of their personality too.**

 **Well, Read, and leave your OC's in the reviews, or in a message.**


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